Beginning May 28, Southwest Airlines will no longer offer two free checked bags for all passengers.
Flights booked on or after May 28 will be subject to extra costs for bags, depending on a passenger’s flight fare, according to a recent Southwest Airlines press release. This is the second policy change Southwest Airlines has made within the last year, following its addition of assigned seating, that would no longer set the airline apart from its competitors.
“We have tremendous opportunity to meet current and future customer needs, attract new customer segments we don't compete for today and return to the levels of profitability that both we and our shareholders expect,” Southwest Airlines President Bob Jordan said in the statement.
Two free checked bags will still be available to Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred and Business Select customers. A-List and other select travelers will receive one free checked bag, and Southwest will provide credit for one checked bag to Rapid Rewards credit card users.
Those not included in these fares must pay for their checked bags. Southwest has not yet revealed the bag costs.
In addition to this change, Southwest announced customers on Business Select will receive more Rapid Rewards points, while cheaper Wanna Get Away fares will earn less. The airline will also create a Basic fare option on the lowest-priced tickets.
Southwest said these changes will reward their most loyal customers. However, some BYU students and alumni who have relied on Southwest’s affordable checked bag policy expressed their frustration about this change.
Annie Walker, an editing and publishing sophomore who is currently serving as the Student Advisory Council vice president, flies Southwest Airlines frequently since it travels directly to her home airport in Orange County, California. She has often found Southwest to be her cheapest travel option and has valued the airline’s previous checked bag policy.
“I think that this change reflects a broader trend across many industries in the America — a shift toward unbundling services and charging consumers for amenities that were once included in the base price,” Walker said. “Airlines, streaming services, and even fast-food chains have increasingly adopted this model, often justifying it as a way to keep base fares or prices competitive while generating additional revenue.”
Walker believed she would continue to fly Southwest due to its convenience but found it unfortunate to have to pay for extra bags when needed in the future.
“This change signals a departure from what made Southwest unique,” Walker said. “It’s disappointing to see yet another company move toward a more nickel-and-dime approach, especially when it impacts travelers who rely on those extra allowances, like students heading home for summer or families traveling with more luggage.”
Josh Wei, a computer science junior, said he often flies Southwest Airlines for vacations, family reunions and to travel back home. He has previously found Southwest to be very affordable, especially when needing extra bags for longer trips.
“I was very surprised by the change,” Wei said. “Depending on how much these bags become, I’m suddenly worried about a ton of personal belongings I’ve been meaning to move from the East Coast out to Utah.”
Wei is unsure if he will continue to use Southwest Airlines for future travel. The new Basic Economy ticket does not yet have enough details to convince him to stay with the airline. He said he may begin cross-referencing ticket prices with other airlines.
This policy change may even affect the way future BYU students bring their belongings to Utah for future semesters. BYU biology alumnus James Finlay said he planned to drop his daughter off at BYU in the fall by flying Southwest Airlines instead of driving because of its free checked bags. He is unsure if they will do so anymore after hearing about the policy change.
“I always check (Southwest Airlines) flights first because of their flexibility of changing flights and their bag policy,” Finlay said. “Now that both of those things are no better than other carriers, there is not a reason to be loyal to them.”
If Southwest remains the more affordable option, Finlay may continue flying the airline. He said Southwest may not have received as much backlash as it did if the lowest priced ticket still included one free checked bag.